Thursday, June 22, 2017

Its 1862. You are a wife, daughter, son, mother or father of a young Southern man who just grabbed the family musket and volunteered to offer his life in defense of your home. As weeks and months pass, you hear reports from around Richmond of the fighting that's taking place there. You pray every night and without end that God will protect your soldier. As Confederate Infantry Companies were organized by County, every family in your town or community is praying this same prayer.

But alas, your soldier never returns. The day he left was the last time you saw him, heard his voice, felt his embrace, shook his hand or kissed his cheek. Now, he's gone never to return. He gave his life on the field of battle at Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chickamauga, New Hope Church or God knows where. You don't know the details, you just know he's gone and your life will never be the same as a result. There will always, until the end of your own days, be that void that cannot be filled. For the remainder of your life certain sounds, smells, scenery or other of life's occasions will remind you of him. The tears that come to your eyes when a thought of him crosses your mind may diminish, but they'll never completely go away. Into your old age that last vision of him walking away from your home, rifle in hand, will haunt you.

This scene played itself out countless thousands of times across our land in the years between 1861 and 1865. Untold numbers of family members suffered this harsh reality as a result of that unnecessary war. They lost everything with the loss of just one loved one. Many families had several of these boys who never returned home. The people who suffered these losses were your family. They were your Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles.

The monuments erected across the South were in honor of these lost loved ones. They were placed in honor of young boys who fought bravely to defend the exact same principles their forefathers fought for in the war of Independence from Britain. But, they were also constructed to bring a sense of purpose to those left behind. To ease their loss, and to have some amount of pride in what they'd sacrificed. Think of these people, and put yourself in their place, as you witness the disgusting situation that took place in New Orleans now Orlando and more attacks are still coming.

They said it would stop at the Flag -----

-but the truth is it will stop when our Confederate Ancestors are erased."